The Government must stop failing children with additional needs. At the end of 2025, 20,209 children were on the waiting list for assessments of need. The majority have been waiting over two years and almost 95% have been waiting longer than the legal six-month limit under the Disability Act 2005. The Government is breaking the law every hour of every day. The Government threatened the Army on peaceful protesters, but it breaks the law willy-nilly. The waiting lists for therapy are also horrendous. Well over 40,000 children are on various waiting lists for CDNTs, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology. There is a chronic shortage of appropriate school places, some 170 classes short, representing hundreds of children. Many children are forced to accept school places outside of their communities. In my experience, children are travelling up to 25 miles to school. A special school in my constituency had 38 applications for eight places, meaning 30 disappointed children and 30 very frustrated and distressed parents. We must do better. The recent announcement of inclusive special classes is not the answer and is another display of arrogance by the Government. There was no consultation with parents, children, disability organisations, teachers or unions. Inclusive Ireland and AsIAm have very serious misgivings about the proposal. It increases class sizes for children with additional needs without adequate or, indeed, any provision for additional special education teachers, SNAs or support and should be stopped. It must be subject to full consultation, consideration and evaluation by and with all stakeholders.

Sentiment score: -0.11